The LA Clippers are looking to start a new winning streak after back to back victories over the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. The Clippers will have a good chance to keep it up against the visiting Orlando Magic.
Game Information
Where: Staples Center
When: 12:30 p.m. PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Terance Mann – Marcus Morris Sr. – Serge Ibaka – Ivica Zubac
Magic: Cole Anthony – Gary Harris – Franz Wagner – Wendell Carter Jr. – Mo Bamba
Injury Report
Clippers: Paul George out (elbow), Kawhi Leonard out (right knee), Nic Batum Doubtful (ankle) Jason Preston out (right foot), Jay Scrubb (G League Assignment)
Magic: Markelle Fultz (left knee), E’Twaun Moore (knee), Jalen Suggs (thumb), Michael Carter-Williams (ankle), Jonathan Isaac (knee).
The Big Picture
It may not have been a pretty win against the Celtics, but a win is a win and there’s no such thing as a bad win. After leading by as many as 21 points, the Clippers did show a lot of mental fortitude without Paul George to hang on to victory on Wednesday night.
They also may have found something in Brandon Boston Jr. He had a career-high 27 points to lead the team and he scored in variety of ways. Now, it isn’t realistic to expect this from him on a nightly basis, but he can provide some offensive punch off the bench for a team that has struggled to score.
Tyronn Lue continues to shuffle the lineups a bit and make adjustments. Luke Kennard, who had found himself in the starting lineup during the quick two-game road trip, was back on the bench in favor of Terance Mann. With no George, Lue opted to go with Nicolas Batum instead of Serge Ibaka, who didn’t see any playing time against the Celtics.
George’s status for Saturday’s game is uncertain, and for Lue it’s about finding the right combinations to stay afloat. The Clippers have yet to see what a full lineup, minus Kawhi Leonard, looks like this season.
Regardless of whether George plays or not, the Orlando Magic represent a good chance for the Clippers to keep a little momentum going. Aside from the top 2-3 teams, the Western Conference appears wide open with spots 4-8 all bunched up together. The Clippers cannot afford to take any team lightly, but a game like this is one they should be able to get.
The Antagonist
The Magic have been one of the bottom feeders in the NBA not just this season, but for a while now. They’ve had multiple high draft picks and not much to show for it.
They do seem to have something in Cole Anthony, who is enjoying a breakout season. His scoring has jumped from 12.9 points per game as a rookie to 20.3 this season. He’s shooting 43 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range.
They also have a solid pair of rookies in Jalen Suggs who was solid before his recent injury, and Franz Wagner who has consistently been one of the league’s top first-year players.
After that (and fourth-year big man Wendell Carter Jr.) it’s just been a whole lot of underwhelming and uninspiring. At 5-21 the Magic have the second worst record in the NBA ahead of only the 4-20 Detroit Pistons.
If there ever was a game the Clippers needed to have, it’s this one against the Magic.
Notes
- The rest period should do well for the Clippers. For a team that’s just played a seven games in 11 day stretch including a few back-to-back games, having two days off between the Boston game and the Orlando game will help. Tyronn Lue mentioned after Wednesday night’s game that Reggie Jackson was a bit fatigued and that some rest in between games will help him. The Clippers have been battling injuries and guys in and out of the lineup all season so they should be a little more fresh against Orlando.
